This month’s edition of Finds You Well is all about mental health — because taking care of yourself matters, especially when campus life gets overwhelming. Here’s what’s inside:

Mindful Scrolling

It’s late at night, and I want to go to bed, but instead I say, “just a little more scrolling.” Two hours later, I realize I REALLY need to go to bed because of work tomorrow — and the videos that started off as happy dogs playing outside are now dogs in shelters begging to be saved. Sound familiar?

I know I’m not alone in my late-night doomscrolling habits and that SO many of you are doing the same. In fact, 84% of adults ages 18 to 29 say they use many social media sites, and a survey reported in January 2025 found that nearly three in four students use social media as a top source of news. We all know how uplifting the news can be, especially before bed. It’s no wonder that heavy use is often linked to more anxiety, lower quality and less overall sleep, depression, and even FOMO.

As a regular social media user myself, I would be hypocritical to say social media is all bad and that everyone should stop using it completely. Apps like TikTok and Instagram keep us connected and can boost your sense of belonging by providing support, especially if you’re part of a community that doesn’t always get the spotlight or have more social anxiety in the first place.

To me, like so many things, it’s all about balance — which also means not assuming that there is such a thing as mindlessly scrolling — because there isn’t. Instead, try these tips for a more mindful scroll:

Bottom line? Social media isn’t the villain, but it isn’t harmless either. Use it to connect, laugh and learn. But maybe also put the phone down occasionally. The memes will still be there after your nap. I promise.

Colin Zimmer, UT Knoxville

Midterms are hitting us, deadlines are piling on and stress levels are higher than usual. For many students, including myself, this time of year can quietly amplify feelings of anxiety, burnout and isolation. We’ve all had that moment when you notice a friend withdrawing, sounding different or carrying a heaviness you can’t quite name. You want to help, but you’re not sure how to go about it. Here are some ways to help support your friends and peers through tough times:

It's important to create a culture of help-seeking and connection, one where "it’s okay to not feel okay" and where reaching out for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. We also realize that tragedy and hardship are part of life. Despite our best efforts, our peers and friends may experience a social crisis and being there for them during those times is essential.

For additional support, check out this article. 

Norman Herman, UT Chattanooga

It can be difficult to navigate college life, but you're not alone. The transition into college often brings major changes including leaving home, meeting new people, managing time independently and adjusting to academic pressures. All of this can impact your mental health, especially if you aren’t familiar with all the available resources. No matter what year of college (or grad school) you’re in, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with your campuses’ counseling services, whether you think you’ll need them or not. Sometimes it helps just to have someone that isn’t your friend or a family member to talk to about it all.

Across the UT System, here is where to go to learn more:

Since on-campus resources are typically intended for short term care (learn more about that below from Corinne Webster), if you've previously worked with a therapist, you might want to jump right into working with someone more regularly in the community. Consider asking your old therapist for recommendations to a local provider or the possibility of continuing sessions with them online (this will depend on where they are licensed).

If you’re not sure where to start, your counseling center can provide a referral list, or you can browse Psychology Today’s Therapist Directory. Taking these small steps early can make a big difference later, especially if you begin to feel overwhelmed. It’s much harder to look for help once you’re in distress. Still, if you’re unsure what level of care you need, you can always begin at your campus counseling center.

You might also wonder if you need more than therapy, such as medication prescribed by a psychiatrist. Your counseling center can also be a great place to start for that and help point you in the right direction based on your needs, but you might also want to read more about therapy vs. psychiatry. Here are a few good resources:

There is often stigma around medication, but remember: if you had high blood pressure, you wouldn’t avoid treatment. The same logic applies to mental health. There’s no shame in needing more than therapy to help you feel like yourself again. The Daily Beacon explored this conversation in ‘I feel like I am myself again’: UT speaks out on breaking stigma around medication.

Corinne Webster, PhD, Director, Counseling Center, UT Chattanooga: 

College counseling centers typically offer a short-term counseling model which differs from traditional psychotherapy in terms of length, scope and depth. Short-term counseling helps students focus on specific concerns that are impacting them now. Examples include situational stressors with roommates, distress related to an academic course or immediate mental health concerns like suicidal ideation. Your counselor will work with you to identify one to two discrete goals to support your wellbeing in one of these areas of concern. Long-term off-campus therapy might be more appropriate if you are working through more complex, longstanding psychological issues or a chronic mental health diagnosis. A campus counselor can assist in determining what level of care you need and provide you with referrals to clinicians in the community should you require care beyond the scope of a college counseling center.

Dominique Harris, UT Chattanooga

As a graduate student, I know how easy it is to get caught up in midterms, deadlines and endless to-do lists. I used to think pausing for a break would throw everything off track, but I’ve learned that self-care isn’t a luxury. It’s a strategy for success.

During my first year, I pushed through exhaustion and skipped meals to stay on top of assignments. The result was burnout and lower-quality work. I realized that wellness and academic performance go hand in hand. Research consistently shows that adequate sleep, balanced nutrition, exercise and regular breaks improve focus, retention and creativity.

Now, I make time for small habits that reset my mind. A short walk, stretching, journaling or meal prepping for the week. These moments of care help me show up as my best self.

Getting a college degree is demanding, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of your health. You’re more likely to achieve your goals when you’re mentally, emotionally and physically well.

Truth: You can’t pour from an empty cup, take care of yourself first.

Jerrica Worboys, UT Knoxville 

In most cases, grief will either break you or motivate you. In my case, I was motivated. In October 2022, I lost my boyfriend to suicide. I was just a junior in high school. While it was definitely one of the hardest things I have ever experienced, it was helpful to my future. After experiencing such loss, you don’t want anyone else to experience it either. I became involved with a mental health program at my high school and went on to join Sources of Strength at UT Knoxville. Sources of Strength has helped me expand in so many ways, one being the ability to tell my story.

I would have never thought about telling my story, but in doing so I’ve helped so many others too. It’s hard to tell people I am a survivor, but I did survive. Especially when that’s not the case for everyone. Many people believe that loss makes you weak, but I think it makes you strong.

Sources of Strength discusses and focuses on eight strengths to promote happy living: mental health, physical health, positive friends, mentors, family support, healthy activities, generosity and spirituality. Strength is not determined by how much you lift or weigh. It's determined by how you persevere and push through.

While it may not look the same for everyone, these things make you strong. The strongest people are told that they can’t or they won’t, but they do anyway. There is no secret to being strong. It’s just pushing yourself no matter what. Don’t give up, talk to your family and friends, go outside, laugh more. Do anything you want just because you can, but never give up.

If you or someone you know is in crisis: start by contacting your UT campus hotline, where trained staff can provide immediate support and follow-up. If you’re off-campus, prefer text or cannot reach your campus line, call or text 988, available nationwide 24/7.

You can also submit CARE concerns at all five UT campuses if you’re worried about a friend or fellow student.

Norman Herman, UT Chattanooga

In recognition of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I decide to shave my head every October. Hair loss is one of the most challenging aspects of treatment for many people who battle this illness. I demonstrate my support and advocate for them by shaving my head. This demonstrates that individuality, strength and beauty overcome having hair.

It’s also a way to spark discussions. When people ask me why I did it, it opens the door to talk about the importance of awareness, early detection and supporting those affected by breast cancer. My shaved head serves as a reminder that nobody struggles alone and that we can all support and encourage one another as a community.  

I believe more people should consider doing the same. It's just hair after all, and it grows back. The idea of permanently losing one's hair due to breast cancer can be heartbreaking and very difficult to navigate. For many, it feels catastrophic. Additionally, confidence can suffer greatly from hair loss. By shaving our heads together, we demonstrate that strength and self-worth are far more important than hair in defining beauty. By demonstrating to those fighting that they are complete, beautiful and never alone even without hair, we can help one aspect of their difficult journey. 

For more information and ways to get involved, check out this link. 

If you’ve ever wanted to: 

Try writing a letter to a stranger! Your letter will be sent anonymously and you’ll receive one in return. 

All you have to do is read the sample letters, follow these letter writing guidelines and then join others around the UT System in submitting your own letter.

Need help getting started? Consider the theme: a place to exist. Use this sample question: What does it mean to have a place where you can simply exist?

Noah Hamlett, UT Knoxville

When I first decided that I wanted to become a therapist, I was in therapy myself. I knew I wanted to help people, and I wanted to use my own life experiences to do that. While I was working through some difficult stuff in therapy and starting school, there was this fear that took root in my mind; maybe I was too broken to help anyone. 

For the longest time I thought therapists were supposed to have it all together so that they could help people. One day, I expressed that fear to my therapist, who then told me about how he regularly saw a therapist, and then gave me a copy of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb. In her book, Gottlieb talks about her experiences being both a therapist and being in therapy herself. It taught me that seeking help is invaluable, not just for those whose career is based on helping others, but for everyone. 

A few years later, I met UT's Chief Wellness Officer Dr. Jessi Gold and read her book How Do You Feel? which fully cemented what I was starting to understand (I promise she didn’t tell me to write this!). If I wanted to be as effective as possible at helping others heal, I needed to help myself too. I shouldn’t feel like I’m less qualified just because I seek help for my own stuff. Dr. Gold’s book introduced me to the stigma that often surrounds help-seeking behavior in these professions and how in these spaces we are taught, and tend to, push our own emotions, vulnerability and even our humanity down. Doctors, psychiatrists and therapists are still humans dealing with their own lives while trying to help other people navigate theirs.

As I inch closer to becoming a therapist myself, I understand more that being open, honest and vulnerable about our journey with mental health, and seeking help when we need it, is important for everyone. Healing the healers affects us all.

Know someone who could use a little encouragement, a fresh perspective or just a reminder they’re not alone? Forward this email and have them subscribe.

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